Fine Art/Oil on canvas cat painting

Hi Mr. Hynes,
My husband recently bought me this cat painting at auction, and we both truly love it. We are unsure of the artist as we are just starting to appreciate the arts. The artists initials on the painting are H.R. It appears to be oil on canvas. He was told that the woman who owned it used to travel to France allot. Could you please help us in identifying it if possible, and also a suggestion on how to find someone to clean it. He purchased it at auction for $200. Any guess on value? So glad we found you, we appreciate any help you can give us! Thanks in advance for your time!

AnswerDear Rose,
If you would like to send jpeg images to me please keep each image of a reasonable size (not too large), and send them as “attachments”, do not embed them in your email. If you are looking for identification or opinion regarding your painting best would be an image of the front (just the painting, don’t include your lovely living room or pick-up truck), the back, and remove any paper covering (90% of respondents do not send me images of the back, I can obtain nearly as much information from the back as from the front), and close-ups of the signature, details of the brush-work, and any inscriptions or labels (use the macro setting on your camera for these close-ups). You can send this information to my email at damnfineart@yahoo.com and make your subject line “allexperts” so I do not bounce you as spam. It would be nice to receive feedback as I do this on my own time with no remuneration, free, no charge, nada. I do NOT research prints or artwork post-1940 (in other words if it does not look like your grandfather or great-grandfather would have owned it, don't proceed).
Cordially,
Dan

Daniel A. Hynes

Expertise

Collecting, buying, selling, identifying, and caring for paintings, drawings,and watercolors (19th and early 20th century American and European). No prints, contemporary art, or works executed after 1940.

Experience

35 years as a fine art dealer, including 3 years as a gallery director. Also was art expert for Leslie Hindman's Auctioneers, and for Dunning's Auction.